Improvement in boys  sleds



UNITED STATES PAENT perron `PHILIPP VVEIGAND AND PHILIP SCHUH, OF WEST CHESTER, NEW YOHK.

IMPROVEMENT IN Boys stabs..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l79,S3-2, dated July 1l, 1876; application liled May 13, 1876. v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PHILIPP- WEIGAND and PHILIP SCHUH, both of West Chester, in the-county ot' l/Vestchester and State' of New -York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleds; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification.

rThis invention relates to what are known as boys sleighs or sleds, and consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, including `a turning ,aiid reversible guide-runner, provided with a circular trackbearing for its frame and a steering-wheel on the under side of the seat, also with an lanchor-brake applied to said runner-frame, and controlled by a lever and spring slide orstop fitted to engage in an adjustable manner with the guide-runner frame, all substantially as hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawing, AFigure l represents a side view ot' the sled with the guiderunner adjusted for travel' in the direction indicated by arrow in said ligure; Fig. 2, a similar vieW of the same with the guide-runner reversed for travel in a reverse direction without turning t-he sled, as indicated by arrow in such gure. Fig. 3 is a partly-broken inverted plan or under view o t' the sled with the guide-runner in the position represented in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is'a mainly central vertical longitudinal section through the guide-runner portion of lhe sled, and Fig. 5 a vertical transverse section in part, mainly on the line x fr. These two last figures are upon a somewhat larger scale than the other figures of the drawing. l A

`A i's the seat vof the sled, and B B its main runners, which are lturned up or bowed at .bot-h ot' their ends. These runners occupy side` positions toward the one end of the seat. O is the guide-runner, occupying a centrally-longitudinal position under the seat at its oppositeend, and D the frame ot said runner. is the steering-wheel, carried by said guidingrunner or its frame, and occupying a horizontal position under the seat, beyond either side or edge of which it projects, to enable the rider or operator to take hold of said wheel, and,

This bearing may consist of an upper tlat` metal annular plate or ring, b, secured to the under side ot' the seat A, and a smaller under similar l'lat ring, c, arranged concen'trically below the ring b, and securedto said seat;

also an interposed disk or circula-r guidingpiece, d, likewise fast to the under side ol the seat A. These several parts are so proportioned and arranged as to provide for the free circular travel or run of a llat circular plate or ring, c, between the fast rings b c, and against or around the guiding-disk d, said ring e being fast on or forming part ot' the guide-runner frame D. -This mode of suspending the guide-runner or its frame provides for its steadyand easy adjustment around an imaginary center, which is the center ofthe trackbearing Gr.

H is an anchor-brake, hinged at its upper end to a horizontal bar or lever, I, carried by the guide-frame D, and extending across the latter, with its one end playing in a fulcruln seat or bearing, f, and its opposite end being free to travel about or around a curved slotted guard or plate, h, fast to the frame D. This lever I is also made capable of movement in direction ot its length, and is constructed to constitute, in addition, a spring stop or lock by means ot' a spring, i, applied to its fulcrum end, and a hook or bolt, L, on its opposite end, which hook, by pulling laterally outward on the lever I at its boltI end, which is accessible from within the steering-wheel E outside of lthe seat A, becomes disengaged from any one of a series of notches or holes, m m, in the guard h. This permits of the lever I being swung horizontally to raise or lower the anchor-brake H, so as either to draw it wholly within the guide-runner C, through which it projects, or to give it any desired degree ot' anchoring projection below said ruimer. By releasing outward pull or draft on the lever l its bolt or hook l is shot by the action of' the spring z' into lock with one or other ot' the holes m, and so made to hold the anchor-brake at the adjustment given it by the vibration of the lever 1,which latter is provided With a head or handle, n, to facilitate the operation of the lever from Within the rim ot' 'the steering-Wheel by the rider of the sled, and which he may do, if desired, without releasing his hold of the steering-Wheel.

The operation may be briefly described as follows: Supposing a boy to be sitting on the seat A over the guide-runner frame, with the guide-ruimer C turned to occupy the position represented for it in Fig. 2, or supposing the boy to be lying on the seat, With the guiderunner turned to occupy theposition shown for it in Fig. l, and the sled to be goingdown hill, said boy or operator tightly grasps or holds the steering-wheel E with his hands, and iirmly retains hiniselt' on the sled by such hold or grasp, and steers the sled in any desired direction at the same time. If neces. sary to check the speed or stop the sled altogether, he grasps the handle n with his tingers, Without, if desired, letting go of the steering-wheel, and pulls on the lever l to disengage the bolt l, and turns said lever till the anchor-brake H enters the frozen or other surface being traveled over, and, on releasinghold of the handle n, the anchor-brake becornes locked in its adjusted position. The

anchor-brake H is ot' a sharp hook-shaped conmain runners B B, having both of their ends turned up or bowed, of the reversible guiderunner U, with its attached steering-wheel E,

substantially as specified.

2. The reversible guide-runner O, with its frame D and attached steering-wheel E, arranged in relation with the seat A, in combination with the circular track-bearing Gr, on which the guide-runner frame rests, essentially as described. l

3. The combination of the anchor-brake H,

and its operating-lever and springstop I, fi, la, and 4l, with the steering-Wheel E, the guiderunner G, and the seat A, substantially as specified.

i PHILIPP WEIGAND. i

PHILIP SCHUH.

Witnesses: FRED. HAYNES, B. W. HOFFMAN. 

